DAR ES SALAAM
Tanzania (Xinhua) -- Thousands of
passengers in Tanzania intending to travel to and from Dar es
Salaam in mainland and Zanzibar were left stranded on Tuesday
following the cancellation of marine transport services owing to
strong winds and waves in the Indian Ocean.

The leading
service provider, Azam Marine and Kilimanjaro Fast Ferries
company, announced the suspension of the services until further
notice, much to the consternation of many would-be passengers,
including tourists.

The travel firm said in a statement that it would resume the
services only after being given the green light by the Tanzania
Meteorological Agency (TMA) and marine transport regulatory
authorities.

Japhet Loisimaye, Director General of the Tanzania Shipping
Agencies Corporation, said an average of 4,500 passengers travel
by boat between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar on a daily basis.

According to Loisimaye, Azam Marine and Kilimanjaro Fast
Ferries company alone served around 4,000 passengers, while the
remaining 500 used boats operated by other companies.

Samwel Mbuya, TMA’s Manager of Weather Forecasting Services,
confirmed that the strong winds and waves were likely to
continue until Wednesday at the earliest.

"Disaster management authorities are advised to prepare a
contingency plan as well as budget necessary to cater for any
negative impacts that the rains might cause," Kijazi told a news
conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

Kijazi also urged health authorities to take relevant
precautions because there was a possibility of an outbreak of
epidemic diseases during the period.

Fourteen people were killed by torrential rains and flooding
in Dar es Salaam in April last year.